Automatic lubricating apparatus



March 31. 1925.

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A. MELOTTE AUTOMATIC LUBRICATING APPARATUS Filed June 1924 3 Shgets-Shqet 5 L V2 2 fa r.-

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' UNITED STATES a r 1,532,959 PATENT OFFICE,

ALFRED MELOTTE, or nnmcounr, BELGIUM.

AUTOMATIC LUBRICATING APPARATUS.

Application filed June 5, 1924. Serial No-. ?i8,1:25.

This invention relates to automatic lubricating apparatus of the type wherein;the lu bricant is scooped up and projected towards a determined point by asuitable device carried by a movable member, and itv has for its object to provide an improved apparatus of this kind, simple in construction and capable of operating perfectly even when the said movable member is running at a very low speed. 7

IVith this object, according to the present invention, the aforesaid device is connected to the aforesaid movable member by an elastic connection which is stressed by the movement of the movable member and which is unstressed for the purpose of projecting the lubricant as aforesaid. I r v For this purpose the improved apparatus may comprise a spoon-like scoop mounted on the end of an, elastic arm fixed to the movable member, and a fixed stoparranged to engage, in the movement of the said member, the said arm momentarilyin such a manner as first to stress it and then to unstress it by continued movement of the said movable member.

In the particular case of a gear casing in which vertical axles are arranged above a horizontal shaft, the present invention pro vides an improved construction which enables the lubricant projected by the aforesaid apparatus to be directed towards the axles to be lubricated. For this purpose the wall of the casing on which the projected lubricant is deposited is provided with inclined surfaces that cause the projected lubricant to flow to the point to be lubricated.

A constructional form of an improved apparatus according to the present invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which 1+- Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of the improved lubricating apparatus showing it in two positions during rotation.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic section of a casing containing a plurality of axles and an improved lubricating apparatus accordits to the p s nt n n on,

Figures 4 and 5 are respectivelyaside elevation' an'd a plan of modification of the improved apparatus.

eferring first to Figures 1 and 2, a scoop 1 is connected to a rotary shaft 2 (the moving member) in such a manner that at each revolution of the latter, the scoop 1 takes up oil from the reservoir 3 for th purpose of projecting it in an outward and upward direction.

For this latter purpose the scoop 1 is connected to the shaft 2 by an elastic connection consisting of a leaf spring t which is tensioned or stressed at a point or instantof each revolution of the shaft 2, whereupon itis allowed to become suddenly unstressed and thus impart an accelerated movementto the scoop 1. i For this purpose a member 5 of the rese'r voir 3 isv provided with a stop '6 which is situated at the proper point where it will engage a shoulder 7 of the spring 4.

From Figures 1' and 2 it will be perceived that as 'theshaft 2 revolves the spring a bears against the stop 6 through the medium of the shoulder-7 which by reason of the rotation and the stressing of the spring 1, is caused'toslide over the stop 6 until it escapes therefrom and thus imparts sudden movementto the scoop 1. I

In Figure 3, the casing 8, which encloses the improved lubricating apparatus and the bearings 9 of the several axles to be lubri cat'ed, has a cover 10 upon which the oil is projected, said cover being formed with in.- clined surfaces 11 for guiding the oil to the said bearings 9.

It is obvious that in some cases the said inclined surfaces, which may be in the form of grooves, may be provided on a screen situated above the lubricating apparatus.

} In the constructional form illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the scoop 1 is subjected to the same actions for assuring a braking of its motion and then its sudden acceleration by the stressing of the spring 4 which connects it to the moving member. In this construction the said moving member consists of a slide block 8 sliding along a guide 9 and having a rectilinear wand-fro mo: tion. 1 7

It is to be noted that the improved apparatus allows of oil being raised to a relatively great height without necessitating that the scoop for collecting the oil shall accompany the oil up to the sam" height,

Consequently the improted apparatus is very suitable in cases where it is desired to lubricate parts that are enclosed in a casing and are separated from the bottom of the said casing by a series of intermediate parts between which only small spaces are left. This may for instance be the case in an apparatus as shown in Figure 3 where vertical axles carry wheels or members moving in horizontal planes between the bottomand the top of the said casing. Such conditions occur in various types of centrifugal milkseparators.

Tt is to be understood that the improved apparatus may be modified as to its constructional details. Thus for example a plurality of springs such as 4, and scoops such as 1, may be mounted on one and the same shaft for projecting the oil towards one or more points of the casing.

hat I claim is:

1. Automatic lubricating apparatus, comprising a moving member; a scoop an elastic connect-ion between said member and scoop; and means for stressing said connection during a portion of its travel with said member and then suddenly releasing it, thereby to project the lubricant carried by the scoop against the part tobe lubricated.

2. Automatic lubricating apparatus, comprising a moving member; a scoop; an elastic connection between said member and scoop; and a fixed stop engageable momentarily with said connection during the movement of the latter with said member so as to first stress said connection and then suddenly release it, thereby to project the lubricant carried by the scoop against the part to be lubricated.

3. Automatic lubricating apparatus. comprising a moving member; a spring arm connected at one end to said member to move therewith; a scoop on the other end of said'arm; anda fixed stop engageable momentarily with said arm during the movement of the latter With said member so as to first stress the arm and then suddenly release it, thereby to project the lubricant carried by the scoop against the part to be lubricated.

4t. Apparatus for automatically lubricating rotary axles, comprising a casing containing the axles to be lubricated and providing a reservoir for the lubricant, said casing having inclined internal surfaces for directing lubricant to said axles; a moving member mounted in said casing; a scoop; an elastic connection between said member and said scoop; and a fixed stop engage-able momentarily with said connection during the movement of the latter with said memher so as to first stress said'connection and then suddenly release it, thereby to project. the lubricant carried by the scoop against said inclined surfaces.

5. Automatic lubricating apparatus, comprising a rotary shaft; a scoop; a spring connection between the two to cause the scoop to rotate with the shaft; and means for stressing said connection during a portion of its travel with said shaft and then suddenly releasing it thereby to project the lubricant carried by the scoop against the part to be lubricated.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

ALFRED MELOTTE.

Witnesses Guon'cns VANDER HACYHEN, LEONARD LERA. 

